Talking Points

Why Are Some Countries Pro-Saddam?

Why are some countries pro-Saddam? That is the subject of this evening Talking Points Memo.

Saddam is bad, but: That's the mantra being put out by countries like France and Germany, which are doing everything possible to keep Saddam in power. The reasons why vary from country to country. But all the anti-war sentiment really comes down to one common denominator. An American victory in Iraq would strengthen the USA and President Bush and millions of people don't want that to happen.

The simply truth is that the world is a less dangerous place if Saddam is removed. And America has the legal right to do that, because he has violated the Gulf War treaty. Even timid men like Hans Blix say that Saddam is not cooperating very much in the current weapons inspections. So, what's the beef here?

We have a Gulf War treaty violation. We have U.N. violations. We have a killer in power. The world should want him removed, but the world does not. And even some Americans are content with allowing Saddam to keep power, because they hate Mr. Bush more than they fear Saddam. The harsh truth is that France and Germany and China and Russia want the USA to be weaker. They want us on the defensive. And they don't feel threatened by Saddam.

Israel? Those countries couldn't care less if Saddam arms and trains the jihad terrorists, the homicide bombers? 9/11? Do you think Chirac and Schroeder lost an hour sleep over that? I don't. I firmly believe that our so-called allies are happy when something bad happens to America, because they see the USA as too powerful, as too much of an empire.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has made it easier for anti-American sentiment to blossom because there's a certain arrogance going on in Washington. But that arrogance is somewhat understandable because the United Nations is weak and generally anti-American. What is our government supposed to do, embrace countries that spit in our face time after time?

Some Americans and foreign leaders want the U.N. to take the lead on Iraq. That, of course, is a joke. The United Nations stood by and allowed a half-million people to be slaughtered in Rwanda, allowed massive atrocities in Bosnia and Kosovo, created chaos in Somalia, and failed dismally in Sierra Leone. The U.N. has no power, no will and no sense of fairness. It's essentially a public-relations outfit.

Now, many seasoned diplomats know all this. They also know that the United States is angry about terrorism and has the power to back up that anger. At this point in time, the USA stands with the U.K. and Australia as the only countries willing to impose a certain morality on other nations. The tragedy is, the world in general does not want that morality.

And that's The Memo .

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day..."

One of the most vivid examples of "spin" I have ever seen.

As defined by us, spin is taking a fact and presenting it in a way that distorts its true meaning. Today, in the newspaper USA Today, a headline said "Half of Americans Say Income Taxes Are About Right."

The headline was taken from a poll where 50 percent of Americans opined that federal income taxes are fair just the way they are. But, if you study the poll, 66 percent of those approving of the federal income tax don't pay any federal income tax! That's right. Two-thirds of the 50 percent that are okay with the federal income tax are exempt from that tax. So of course, they're okay with it.

Forty-seven percent of Americans believe the federal income tax is too high. They're the ones that are paying it.